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Catalonia’s authorities spokesman says 337 folks have been injured, some severely, during the police crackdown Sunday on a banned referendum on breaking away from Spain.

Jordi Turull stated he couldn’t disclose extra particulars concerning the wounded out of respect to their kinfolk. Police fired rubber bullets close to not less than one Barcelona polling station, and have clashed with protesters all through Catalonia.

Spanish riot police burst into polling stations throughout Catalonia on Sunday, confiscating poll containers and voting papers to attempt to halt a banned referendum on a split from Spain as Madrid asserted its authority over the insurgent area.

Police broke down doorways to drive entry into voting stations as defiant Catalans shouted ‘Out with the occupying forces!” and sang the anthem of the rich northeastern area. In one incident in Barcelona, police fired rubber bullets.

WATCH: Catalonia president requires referendum in Spain regardless of Scottish NO vote

Officers in riot gear forcibly eliminated folks from a polling station in Girona and Catalan firefighters protected voters by standing between them and nationwide police.

The referendum, declared unlawful by Spain’s central authorities, has thrown the nation into its worst constitutional disaster in a long time and deepened a centuries-previous rift between Madrid and Barcelona.

Despite the police motion, lots of-robust queues of individuals shaped in cities and villages all through the area to solid their votes. At one Barcelona polling station, aged folks and people with kids entered first.

“I’m so pleased because despite all the hurdles they’ve put up, I’ve managed to vote,” stated Teresa, a 72-year-previous pensioner in Barcelona who had stood in line for six hours.

The poll may have no authorized standing because it has been blocked by Spain’s Constitutional Court and Madrid for being at odds with the 1978 structure.

A minority of round 40 p.c of Catalans assist independence, polls present, though a majority wish to maintain a referendum on the difficulty. The area of seven.5 million folks has an financial system bigger than that of Portugal.

However a lot voting takes place, a “yes” result’s seemingly, given that the majority of those that assist independence are anticipated to solid ballots whereas most of these towards it are usually not.

LARGE CROWDS

Organizers had requested voters to prove earlier than daybreak, hoping for big crowds to be the world’s first picture of voting day.

“This is a great opportunity. I’ve waited 80 years for this,” stated 92-year-previous Ramon Jordana, a former taxi driver ready to vote in Sant Pere de Torello, a city in the foothills of the Pyrenees and a professional-independence bastion.

People collect at plaza Sant Jaume during a protest known as by the Civic Movement of Spain and Catalans underneath the slogan ‘Catalonia is Spain. Democracy, Future and Freedom’, in Barcelona.

EPA/Alberto Estevez

Pro independence supporters wave “estelada” or professional independence flags during a rally in assist for the secession of the Catalonia area from Spain, in Vitoria, northern Spain, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.

(Alvaro Barrientos)

Pro independence supporters wave “estelada” or professional independence flags during a rally in assist for the secession of the Catalonia area from Spain, in Vitoria, northern Spain, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.

(Alvaro Barrientos)

People stroll on a avenue adorned with a banner calling to vote Yes in the independence referendum and “esteladas” or independence flags in Sabadell, close to Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017.

(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Popular Party of Catalonia, proper, present Spanish flags and Catalonia flags on the finish of a parliamentary session on the Parliament in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Nov. 9, 2015.

AP Photo/Manu Fernandez

A pair kiss in entrance of a “estelada” or professional independence flag in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Sept. 27, 2015.

(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A Spanish flag is held up because the President of Democratic Convergence of Catalonia Artur Mas, heart, votes at a polling station in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Sept. 27, 2015. Voters in Catalonia participated in an election Sunday that would propel the northeastern area towards independence from the remainder of Spain or quell secessionism for years.

(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Nuns solid their vote at a polling station in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Sept. 27, 2015. Voters in Catalonia go to the polls on Sunday to elect regional lawmakers, with professional-secession events saying they’ll push for independence inside 18 months in the event that they win a majority in the 165-seat parliament, as most opinion polls predict they’ll.

(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 file picture, folks carry an enormous “estelada” flag, an emblem of Catalonian professional-independence, during an indication calling for the independence of Catalonia in Barcelona.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

People wave “estelada” flags, that symbolize Catalonia’s independence, during an indication calling for the independence of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, Sept. 19, 2014.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

In this Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014 picture, demonstrators stand on the streets waving their “estelada” flags, that symbolizes Catalonia’s independence, during a protest calling for the independence of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain.

Catalan independence activists exhibit in entrance of the Palau de la Generalitat (seat of the autonomous authorities) for the supporting of “Yes” in the referendum of independence in Scotland which will likely be held on September 18, in Barcelona, Catalonia, on September 17, 2014.

Albert Llop/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

People protest to sentence the Spain’s Constitutional Court resolution to vote for a referendum in Catalonia on on the Catalonia sq. on Friday, Oct. three, 2014, in Barcelona, Spain.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The Catalan authorities stated voters may print out poll papers at house and lodge them at any polling station not closed down by police.

Elsewhere, folks weren’t capable of entry the poll containers. In a city in Girona province the place Catalan chief Carles Puigdemont was as a result of vote, Civil Guard police smashed glass panels to open the door and seek for poll containers.

WATCH: Spain’s Catalonia area gears up for independence referendum

Puigdemont voted in a unique city in the province. He accused Spain of unjustified violence in stopping the vote and stated it created a dreadful picture of Spain.

“The unjustified, disproportionate and irresponsible violence of the Spanish state today has not only failed to stop Catalans’ desire to vote … but has helped to clarify all the doubts we had to resolve today,” he stated.

“We have been made to do something we didn’t want to do,” stated Enric Millo, the central authorities’s consultant in Catalonia, at a information convention.

One analyst stated the scenes being performed out throughout Catalonia on Sunday would make it more durable for Madrid and Barcelona to discover a approach ahead.

“I think it is going to make the clash more intense and make it more difficult to find a solution,” stated Antonio Barroso of Teneo Intelligence.

Puigdemont initially stated that if the “yes” vote received, the Catalan authorities would declare independence inside 48 hours, however regional leaders have since acknowledged Madrid’s crackdown has undermined the vote.

Markets have reacted cautiously however calmly to the scenario up to now, although credit standing company S&P stated on Friday that protracted tensions in Catalonia may damage Spain’s financial outlook. The area accounts for a few fifth of the financial system.